"Understood, Lei Dong has noted that." Without hesitation, Lei Dong accepted the forty spirit stones and placed them into his storage belt, his expression serious and solemn, saying no more.

This reaction earned him increased admiration from Chen Ge and Wei Hua. Both were children from prominent families, having been exposed to much and possessed a degree of insight into character. They vaguely sensed something extraordinary about Lei Dong, which was why they were willing to place such a significant bet on him. Moreover, both Chen Ge and Wei Hua knew that when it came to investment, one needed foresight: place heavy bets while the asset has yet to rise to prominence. Otherwise, if Lei Dong truly made a name for himself one day, he wouldn't spare a mere forty spirit stones a second glance. Of course, they would have preferred to invest in Ding Wanyan, but they lacked the access or the standing.

The three exchanged insights on cultivation practices as two days whisked by.

The terrain ahead was riddled with ravines and completely impassable, so they sent the carriage back to the city first. After walking some distance, they were ambushed by several ferocious beasts. Although they managed to fend them off somewhat awkwardly, the encounter alerted them to the growing danger. They formed a defensive array and proceeded cautiously to explore.

Lei Dong’s ghost soldier, armed with a saber and shield, floated at the very front, circling left and right to scout the path. Lei Dong himself walked in the center with Chen Ge, each gripping their respective magical artifacts vigilantly. Wei Hua took the rear, as his mastery of the Xuan Yin Shield gave him superior survivability.

With the ghost soldier scouting, ordinary beasts were detected early on, either driven off or killed, preventing any further direct attacks.

After traversing some distance, the terrain grew increasingly treacherous, with weeds towering over their heads and ravines several zhang wide appearing unexpectedly underfoot. Fortunately, all three were at the first layer of the Qi Refining stage, making passage manageable. Chen Ge checked the map intermittently, his face smudged with dust, yet he smiled brightly: "We are only seven or eight li from our target; everyone, put in a little more effort."

Suddenly, the ghost soldier, positioned ten zhang ahead, let out a sharp, low spectral howl. Lei Dong, whose spirit was linked to his soldier, immediately recognized this as an enemy detection signal, entirely different from the usual feral cries. This howl was both rapid and deep, indicating the enemy's strength was at least equal to its own.

"Be careful, a strong enemy," Lei Dong warned. As his words fell, a giant serpent as thick as a water barrel burst from a mound of weeds and dirt ahead. Its tail lashed out, sweeping its upper body three or four zhang into the air. Its millstone-sized head, armed with sharp teeth, opened wide and lunged toward the floating ghost soldier.

However, the ghost soldier, already equivalent in strength to a first-layer Qi Refiner and possessing the innate advantage of flight—intangible and agile—was prepared for the serpent’s strike. It flashed aside, evading the bite, and immediately spun around, bringing its saber down toward the giant serpent's head. The serpent, having missed its initial attack, paused momentarily, allowing the blade to land.

Regrettably, the ghost soldier's weapon was not solid but condensed soul energy. While immensely powerful at higher levels, at this stage, it only managed to scrape off the outer layer of skin, shedding a few scales.

"Good heavens, this is a demonic beast," Chen Ge exclaimed, though fear was absent from his tone. Judging by the pressure and aura the giant serpent projected, it was only slightly stronger than them—likely a second-layer Qi Refining demonic snake. A one-on-one engagement would be difficult, but here, they held a distinct advantage at four against one.

"Wei Hua, move forward and help the ghost soldier entangle the snake. Lei Dong and I will attack," Chen Ge commanded. As he spoke, Wei Hua surged forward, his small, dark-green sword slicing toward the giant snake’s neck.

Without waiting for Chen Ge's order, Lei Dong was already readying his own dark-green small sword and sent it shooting out. Chen Ge advanced a few steps before beginning an incantation, preparing the Nether Fire Bullet.

Swish, swish. Both Lei Dong’s and Wei Hua’s swords missed their mark. But under their control, though not perfectly agile, the small swords angled back in mid-air, slicing toward the giant serpent again. Caught off guard, the serpent took two more hits. Unfortunately, these dark-green small swords, standard issue from the sect to train new disciples in weapon control, possessed limited power. They were adequate against ordinary beasts but slightly ineffective against this second-layer Qi Refining serpent, managing to pierce its flesh only an inch or two deep.

Even so, the injured and pained giant serpent’s eyes glowed with a savage, vicious light. With a flick of its tail, it lunged toward the nearest target, Wei Hua. But it forgot the ghost soldier was no pushover. With a sizzle, its body turned blood-red, and it brought its saber down viciously onto the serpent’s neck. Augmented by a thirty percent increase in striking power, the ghost soldier's blow was now comparable to a second-layer Qi Refiner's strength, sinking several inches deep.

Hiss! The giant snake shrieked in agony, forgetting Wei Hua and turning back to strike the ghost soldier. Chen Ge’s Nether Fire Bullet was clearly much more refined than before; it was ready within two or three breaths.

The fist-sized Nether Fire Bullet, trailing a long, faint green tail of flame, struck the giant serpent swiftly.

Boom! The power of the Nether Fire Bullet was incomparable to the small swords or the ghost soldier's saber. The force of the explosion ripped a large hole in its body, and splashes of nether fire adhered to its scales, burning with a faint, eerie light. The wretched demonic beast finally realized it had kicked an iron plate. In excruciating pain, it rolled frantically on the ground, trying to extinguish the flames. But the nether fire, which targeted and scorched soul power, was nearly impossible to put out even by submerging in water; rolling on the ground was useless.

Lei Dong and his companions were not about to let it escape. They urged their dark-green small swords forward, hacking mercilessly at the giant serpent, strike after strike accumulating force. The ghost soldier, operating in its bloodthirsty state, seized every opportunity to slash, every blow drawing blood.

After a brief struggle, realizing the situation was dire, the giant snake attempted a rapid escape. But the group would not allow it. Eliminating a second-layer Qi Refining demonic beast was a small fortune to them at their current stage. Even ants can fell an elephant, let alone a group composed of three cultivators and a ghost soldier who were only slightly weaker than the beast itself. After pursuing for only two li, the giant snake lay twitching on the ground. Its body was covered in knife and sword marks, with the gaping wound from the Nether Fire Bullet being the most fatal. The fiercely burning nether fire gradually faded and extinguished as the giant snake died.

The three, including Lei Dong, were ecstatic. This was the first time in their lives they had slain a demonic beast, and a second-layer Qi Refiner at that. They wondered if this was the specific beast mentioned in their mission. If not, they were undaunted; all three felt the battle had been relatively easy, and another beast would likely meet the same fate.

The ghost soldier's power also drew high praise from Chen Ge and Wei Hua. Although Wei Hua, using the Xuan Yin Shield, could hold the snake for a moment, he was ultimately at risk of death. The ghost soldier, however, was fearless and incredibly agile—truly the optimal choice for a meat shield.

Without another word, the three began to harvest their spoils. The most valuable part of a demonic beast was, naturally, its inner core. This core, distinct from the Golden Core in the Great Path of Immortality, was the place where the beast absorbed the energy of heaven and earth to condense its power—an excellent material for refining elixirs. Although low in grade, the inner core of this second-layer Qi Refining beast was worth at least two spirit stones.

Its hide, tailbones, and gallbladder could also be used as refining materials, though they were less valuable. In total, the scattered items were worth roughly three spirit stones.

They decided to take these items back first and divide the profits after selling them. While each person would receive at most one spirit stone, for cultivators at their level, one spirit stone was a considerable sum. Chen Ge and Wei Hua had both brought some supplies from home, but obtaining more was always hard-won.

As for the meat and blood, after everyone took a small portion of the snake meat for food, the remaining blood and flesh were given to the ghost soldier. Unlike humans who cultivate through specific methods and improve rapidly, entities like the ghost soldier needed to constantly absorb flesh and blood to advance, beyond the passive nourishment from the Soul Nurturing Tower. The flesh and blood of a second-layer Qi Refining demonic beast was a potent tonic for it. Soon, under the group’s dismemberment, the giant snake vanished without a trace.

After absorbing the flesh and blood sustenance, the ghost soldier’s spirit, which had been somewhat depleted by the Bloodthirsty Art, not only fully recovered, but its transparent body appeared slightly more solidified, lending it a touch more imposing aura.